Merging Spangked OEG Bantam chicks with another group of young chicks...

[ShantyBuilder]

I have 6 Spangled old English Game Bantam chicks (10 days old) and I want to merge them with the most compatible of the following (all 4 days old):

A) 10 Blue Laced Red Wyandotte (sexed) pullets
B) 15 Mille defleur barbu d'uccles
C) 10 golden Sebrights
D) 15 Blue Silkie Bantams

I prefer to free range multiple flocks.
I greatly enjoy allowing broody hens to follow their natural course of hatching, mothering etc (i.e. I'd like it to result in cross breeding as well as a cohesive flock for free ranging, ideally persisting across multiple generations)

Q1:
Which combo makes for the most cohesive flock?
Q2:
which hybrid crosses might produce the most *interesting* Additions to the flock?

Prompt and thoughtful responses very much appreciated
Thank You!

 

[NatJ]

Most cohesive flock:

Probably not Silkies, because the OEGB (Old English Game Bantams) will be able to fly well and the Silkies will not. I would expect the OEGB to want to roost high at night, and the Silkies to sleep on the ground. Sleeping apart probably does not help them feel like a single flock.

Sebrights have the most similar body type, but I do not know if that affects behavior or anything else that would matter to a chicken.

Wyandotte and Sebright have the smallest numbers right now, so if you are trying for flocks of equal size, it might make sense to add the OEGB to one of them.


Genetics:
The "Spangling" is caused by the mottling gene. It is recessive, so offspring will only show that trait it they inherit it from both parents.

I am assuming each breed has the proper comb type, and breeds true for that trait. In practice, single combs could show up in any of the breeds that are supposed to have other comb types.


Cross Breeding:
A. Spangled with Blue Laced Red Wyandotte will produce chicks with some kind of patterning, probably not proper lacing. There will be some with black patterning and some with blue patterning, all on a background of red. Crossed chicks should all have rose combs. Crossed chicks will not show any spangling (the white dots.)

B. Spangled with Mille Fleur Barbu d'Uccle will produce chicks with "spangled" or "mille fleur" pattern (the white dots, with black behind the white, and gold or red behind that.) Chicks will probably have a shade of light red or rich gold, midway between the gold for Mille Fleur and the dark red of the Spangled. Chicks should have single combs, muff/beard, and feathered feet.

C. Spangled with Gold Sebrights will produce chicks with some pattern of black on a red/gold background. The red or gold is likely to be a shade between the gold of the Sebrights and the red of the Spangled parents. The black patterning will probably not be proper lacing. Crossed chicks should all have rose combs, and males should have hen feathering. Crossed chicks will not show any spangling.

D. Spangled with Blue Silkies will produce black chicks and blue chicks. All chicks should have normal-textured feathers (not silkie-textured.) Chicks should have Silkie-style combs, crested heads, feathered feet, 5th toe, and if the Silkies have muff/beard the chicks will probably have it too. As the chicks grow up, they will probably show some red leakage on their blue or black feathers (chance of white leakage, depending on the genes of the Silkies.) Crossed chicks should not show any spangling.

I do not know which set of chicks would be most interesting to you. I suspect the Gold Sebrights would produce the least interesting cross, because they do not have blue (Wyandotte & Silkie), or mottling (Mille Fleur), or the extra feathering Silkies have.

 

[ShantyBuilder]

Most cohesive flock:

Probably not Silkies, because the OEGB (Old English Game Bantams) will be able to fly well and the Silkies will not. I would expect the OEGB to want to roost high at night, and the Silkies to sleep on the ground. Sleeping apart probably does not help them feel like a single flock.

Sebrights have the most similar body type, but I do not know if that affects behavior or anything else that would matter to a chicken.

Wyandotte and Sebright have the smallest numbers right now, so if you are trying for flocks of equal size, it might make sense to add the OEGB to one of them.


Genetics:
The "Spangling" is caused by the mottling gene. It is recessive, so offspring will only show that trait it they inherit it from both parents.

I am assuming each breed has the proper comb type, and breeds true for that trait. In practice, single combs could show up in any of the breeds that are supposed to have other comb types.


Cross Breeding:
A. Spangled with Blue Laced Red Wyandotte will produce chicks with some kind of patterning, probably not proper lacing. There will be some with black patterning and some with blue patterning, all on a background of red. Crossed chicks should all have rose combs. Crossed chicks will not show any spangling (the white dots.)

B. Spangled with Mille Fleur Barbu d'Uccle will produce chicks with "spangled" or "mille fleur" pattern (the white dots, with black behind the white, and gold or red behind that.) Chicks will probably have a shade of light red or rich gold, midway between the gold for Mille Fleur and the dark red of the Spangled. Chicks should have single combs, muff/beard, and feathered feet.

C. Spangled with Gold Sebrights will produce chicks with some pattern of black on a red/gold background. The red or gold is likely to be a shade between the gold of the Sebrights and the red of the Spangled parents. The black patterning will probably not be proper lacing. Crossed chicks should all have rose combs, and males should have hen feathering. Crossed chicks will not show any spangling.

D. Spangled with Blue Silkies will produce black chicks and blue chicks. All chicks should have normal-textured feathers (not silkie-textured.) Chicks should have Silkie-style combs, crested heads, feathered feet, 5th toe, and if the Silkies have muff/beard the chicks will probably have it too. As the chicks grow up, they will probably show some red leakage on their blue or black feathers (chance of white leakage, depending on the genes of the Silkies.) Crossed chicks should not show any spangling.

I do not know which set of chicks would be most interesting to you. I suspect the Gold Sebrights would produce the least interesting cross, because they do not have blue (Wyandotte & Silkie), or mottling (Mille Fleur), or the extra feathering Silkies have.

These are very much the insights I was looking for. Thank you!